James davis



l Sary to a full uiulerstanding `the same in the summary or page orpi,

.JAMES DAVIS, or NEW oRLEANs, LoUisIANf-l,

Leners Baena No. 106,131, @ma August 9, 1870.

iMPRovm/inm 1N RAILWAY swrrcans.

l Theclziedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ofidle same To all whom it 'amy concern:

Y Be it known that LJAMES DAVIS, ot' N e`\ v Orleans, infthe p arish ofOrleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and usefulImprovementin Railroad S\\'itl`:hes andI do hereby declarethat thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to make and usev the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing `forming part of thisspekcication.

, `My inventionrelates to railroad switches, and aims to make certainimproved arraiweinents ot' the mechanism whereby attained in theoperation thereof. I will first describe my improvements in connectionwith all Athat is neces thereof, and then specify claim.

Figure l is a plan view of a.v railroad ltrack and switcharranged,according to my improvement. Also, a plan ot'a car thereon withswitch-operating wheels;

Figures 2 and 3 are side and end elevations oi' the said car; l 1 Figure4 is a plan view4 ot a car with abroad flange.

on onewheel for shifting the switches;

j Figureis aplau ofthe bottom of the switchshifting and lockingapparatus inverted; and

Figure 6 is atsection of the same on the line :c x. Similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts.

A and B represent the switch-rails.`

D and E represent the main rails.

The s\vi,th-rails al'e connected by bolts to the' shift,- ing hat` C atthe underside, the latter is connected to the vibrator, F, pivoted at G,and connected by the arm H and link I, at one side, to the lever K, and,at the other side, bythe arm L and link M to the lever Three short.levers, Ii aiidN, are 4pivoted, at their centers, to the axles O, andproject upward into the paths ot the flanges P, or the shifting wheels,Q, of

the c ars. l .lhese leversLK N, have studs, It, atronc side, which areengaged by the catch-bars K', pivoted below the track, with their upperedges inclinedv and elevated into the paths of the ,Ganges or wheels, by

which they are actuated. They are provided `with catches, `the studs Rand lock the levers in a vertical position.

The levers `K N are placed ou opposite sides, one near eachral, to beacted on alternately for shift-ing S, which engage K N, when they are`the switches in either direction.

greater convenience and certainty is` lI M, and levers NK, with Theforward wheel of the car, ivhich is to shift the switch, is providedwith a broad flange, P, which first acts on the inclined upper face ofthe locking-bar K', pressing it down and disconnecting the catch S fromthe stud R ot' the lever K or N, as the case maybe.

It then strikes the level-'K or N and throws it forward, drawingback thearm of the vibrator F, and' moving 'the slide C and the switch-rails AB; also throwing forward the opposite army of the vibrator to which theother lever, K or N, is connected, thereby movingr the said level' intoa vertical position, ready to be acted upon by the flange or wheel onthe opposite side, when it is required to shift the switch.

When the shitting lever K orN is thrown upto the vertical position, theswitchis locked by the catolibar K.

20i` course, in all double switches, the flange for throwing one waywill be on one side of the car, and the one for throwing the other waywill be ou the other side of the car. l The same arrangement isapplicable also to single switches. y

Instead of the anges P, I propose to use, in some cases, wheels, Q,preferably attached to the ca1s,.so as to be supported above the rails asuitable distance, and be moved down at the proper time by thc engineeror brakemam'to act on the switch-locking bars and the shil'thing levers.

In this exqnple I have represented the wheel Q as 'attached to avertically-sliding-bar, U, connected to a hand-lever,- V, for moving itdown, and provided with a spring, W, for

raising it up and supporting it;` but any other arrangement of apparatusfor supporting` and working these wheels may be employed.

vSnell wheels may also be permanently supported in i eliecting theunlocking `and the right position for switching.' l

Having thus described my invention. What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of vibrator F, arms H Iz,li nks au elastic projectingcatch bar, S K', constructed and operating as and for thepurposespecified.' Y I 2. The arrangement of studded levers KR, KN, andspring projecting catch-bars S K', structed as and for the purposedescribed.

JAMES DAVIS. Witnesses:

A. L. PLAT'rnNcun,

B. F- Swarm.

when` con-

